Local monastery student pleads not guilty to indecent solicitation charges

A Libertyville man recently charged with indecent solicitation of a minor was in his fourth and final year of training to become a monk at the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery near the village, according to authorities.

Dario Spasic, 22, pleaded not guilty Wednesday, Oct. 29, to charges of indecent solicitation of a minor under the age of 17, a Class 3 felony that carries a potential prison sentence of two to five years. A conviction can also result in a probationary sentence.

Spasic was arrested and charged in September, after allegedly agreeing on the Internet to meet in person with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. Officials said he actually had been chatting online with a member of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit.

Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Stanton said Spasic, who is from Ohio, was living on Milwaukee Avenue in unincorporated Libertyville when the incident took place. She said he was in his fourth year as a student at the Serbian Monastery, also located on Milwaukee Avenue north of Libertyville.

Spasic was initially jailed on $100,000 bond, but subsequently bonded out and is being allowed to live in Ohio with his parents, while being monitored by the court’s pretrial services department.

Stanton said the state had objected to allowing him to reside out of state prior to trial, but that he is being required to attend every hearing in person. He was present Wednesday for his arraignment before Judge George Bridges.

According to sheriff’s police, Spasic used a social networking application to set up a 10 p.m. meeting with the boy he thought was 14 years old, and was instead met by a sheriff’s office detective.

He allegedly told investigators that he set up the meeting “to engage in sexual activities,” according to the sheriff’s office.